October 10, 2010

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:2)

When Jacob gathered his sons for a blessing prior to his death, he called his son Reuben “unstable as water.” Just as water conforms to whatever container it’s placed in, this firstborn son was willing to conform to whatever situation he found himself in, often to his shame. Paul warns us not to conform to worldly ideas and activities or be swayed by public opinion. The solution is transformation, which involves radical and irreversible change just as the caterpillar enters the cocoon and is transformed into a butterfly, never to return to his previous state.

Jesus preached a radically different way of thinking in his sermon on the mount, a shift of attitude from self centered consequences to genuine loving concern for others. In order to make the transformation complete He required an irreversible spiritual change. The symbolic burial in the water of baptism signaled the birth of the new man and paved the way for the renewing of the mind by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Only then can the Christian understand God’s will and strive with determination for its fulfillment.
Your servant Dan